Strife Ahead?

Didn't take long for Dennis Kelly to land on his feet after quitting as DeLand's city manager in February. He was hired last week as interim city manager in Edgewater.

Unfortunately, Mr. Kelly and the Edgewater City Council seem destined to butt heads over how to run the city.

Consider: When he resigned under pressure in DeLand, Mr. Kelly blamed his problems on city commissioners meddling in day-to-day administrative matters. He understands the need to separate the policy-making duties of elected city leaders from the management responsibilities of the city manager. That separation is central to the successful operation of any city hall. But it is a lesson the Edgewater City Council has yet to learn.

The council demonstrated its lack of understanding last week while considering the emergency ordinance that allows the city to hire a city manager.

It yanked a provision that would have drawn a line between the duties of the council and the city manager. The provision would have prohibited council members from interfering in administrative appointments or dismissals -- a logical requirement because the city already has a process for personnel appeals. The provision, wisely, also would require that council members deal with the city manager instead of giving direct orders to city workers.

Mayor Earl Baugh said the provision will be rewritten to ''tailor it to the needs of Edgewater.''

That has an ominous ring to it, one that council member David Mitchem seems to have heard. Mr. Mitchem said he feared the provision will be tailored instead ''to fit the needs of some council members who like the good old boy form of government.''